Keep Your Face Up
by Computer Pikachu
Summary: "Just keep your face up, and you'll do fine." He said. "I know, you said that last time." she muttered, "Maybe I'm not suited for contests, Drew." The boy tilted his head, confused. "Maybe, just maybe, I should go try out the Gyms." SUM INSIDE. CS
1. Chapter 1

**Keep Your Face Up:**

**Another fic that I thought of… I don't know if this one will go so far. I hope it won't be on hiatus like my other story, Life as we Know it. **

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**APPEARANCES: (Pokemon carried are the same they have in series)**

**May: Wearing light blue tank top and black shorts. Yellow backpack. Dark blue shoes. Side bangs and hair brushed down past her shoulders. **

**Drew: Simple black short-sleeved shirt. Purple pants. Simple thin purple jacket. Black shoes. **

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**This story starts out depressing, but over time you'll see improvement of finding happiness.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Pokemon or the song mentioned throughout the story.**

**Okay, ONWARD!**

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May's been having troubles with her life recently, which push her to the verge of suicide. She was a failure and nobody cared. When one old friend stops her, she's determined to change and make something good out of her life. Afterwards, she finds a new liking in blogging, where she can let it all out. Then she's faced with choices. Will she continue on with Contests? Or will she try something new and go for the Leagues? Either way, this friend will stand by her side.

**Sorry for the somewhat bad summary. I can't summarize this really easily...**

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_It's late and I am tired_

_Wish I could spark a smile_

_The place is flying high but right now I wanna be low_

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My parents always liked my little brother more than me. They would act like they cared about me just to insure my brother that I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon and that we were a _family_. Hah! As if! I left them a week ago to start a new journey and get away. I didn't say 'good-bye' or anything. I didn't even leave a letter. I just _left_. They're probably not even looking for me.

My first journey was four years ago with a two guys named Ash and Brock. Of course my brother, Max, came along. He's always wanted to explore. Don't get me wrong, I _do_ love Max; but I'm tired of the false happy atmosphere my parents create. I'm tired of them yelling at me for the dumbest things. The reason why they probably like Max more is because he hasn't made as many mistakes in life as I have. Whatever. I'm long gone from that life.

This will be my third expedition total, but first alone. My second was in Jhoto with Solidad right after my trip with Ash.

I'll be competing in contests in Sinnoh this time. I heard that Ash had beaten the Champion there. He's getting closer and closer to being the Pokemon Master.

I admit, Ash was my first real crush, but I gave up when we encountered with a red head named Misty. It was too obvious that they had a thing for each other... Sure, I was pretty heartbroken, but that all changed when _he_ came into the picture.

Drew. He was such a jerk. Wait, he _still_ is a jerk. But sometimes, when we're alone, he could be really nice and soft. It's like he's bipolar. Drew's the one that keeps me going. He helps me through my contests and hands me-_my Pokemon_ roses. The advice had gotten me so far, but I've never been able to win at the Grand Festival. It sucks to come so far, but fail in the end. It's throwing all your hard work to the trash. Then you're just left with silly ribbons hanging in your room… No cup to show off. Just pesky little ribbons that were the weight of a single sheet of paper.

But somehow, through the long talks, laughs, tears, and anger with this guy, a new crush started to form. I can't say it's _love_, because that would be too early. Right? Eh, love never works for me anyways. My parents, Ash, and probably Drew would _never_ love me. Drew has a ton of other pretty, healthy-haired, rich, and curvier girls chasing after him. He could have _anybody_ he wanted. It hurts to know that I may never be in love. I won't be able to have a husband, family, or beautiful home to live in. I've _failed_. In my one week of being in Sinnoh, I've already _lost _a contest. I'm _still _failing. It keeps hurting.

Starting today, it will be like I never existed. I'm standing on a bridge in the middle of the night. I don't know where I am; it's not like I cared anymore. I've done something wrong in my life, but I can't figure it out. The mistakes? I can't recall many at the moment. Things are just coming so fast. I felt a few tears roll down my face. The salty liquid moved to my lips, eventually hitting my taste buds. I _needed_ this.

I slowly took a step up to the stone ledge of the bridge, ready to let go. Until…

"May? What are you doing up there?"

It couldn't be _him. _No. Not right now…

(Would have ended it here, but I'm not that mean!)

"Maaaaaay?" It _was _him. I haven't seen him for 2 years… I still ignored him.

"Dammit May, turn around and get down from that ledge! You could fall and _die_!" I _could _fall. More like I _will _fall. Just as I moved an inch forward to the edge about to hit the calm waters, his hand pulled me back to lower grounds. _Violently. _

I growled, "DREW! WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Arceus, May! You weren't going to just _jump _were you? That's SUICIDE." I looked down as tears started to fall.

By now I could have been in bliss. Peace. Now I was stuck in this hell hole again.

"May," he surprisingly calmed, "we're only 14. You can't let go now. You have a whole life ahead of you! 80 plus years more to look forward to! Don't give up now. There are people who care abou-"

"That's the _thing_, Drew. _NOBODY_ CARES. I'm a loner. A reject. A _failure._" I glared at him with teary eyes.

He sighed and pulled me into a hug, "Look, if it makes a difference, Solidad will care. Ash will care. There _are _people out there that _do _care about you! Heck, even _I'd _care. You're my rival and my best friend." I stared. This was _different. _

I didn't have anything left to say. I just cried on his shoulder. Everything that was happening was too _shocking. _

"Do me a favor, will you?" he whispered. I calmed down and nodded, freeing myself from his embrace, still not able to look him in the eye. "Go to this website, sign up, and just _vent _when you feel like it, ok? It'll help."

Drew handed me a white piece of paper with a website written on it. I didn't look at it yet, I just shoved it in my pocket.

"Thanks," I muttered.

He turned to walk away, but paused and glanced over his shoulder.

"Oh, and one more thing," I actually looked up, "keep your face up, May."

And with that, he just disappeared. Just like that. It was that simple for him to stop her from doing the stupidest things. _'Keep your face up, May'_

She smiled. That simple phrase would soon change her life.

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**Continue? Or no? Too mushy with romance already? I hope not... I'm trying to keep a simple flow throughout this one... I really need good feedback guys… I promise I have some good things stored for the end. Just pleeaassee give me some feedback! I need to know whether to continue! Or else I'm just wasting my time! :[**

**I know Drew seemed really OOC in this right now, but seriously, you wouldn't be teasing a suicidal girl. This mode doesn't last very long.**

**Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

Keep Your Face Up:

**Chapter 2 is up! :D The song is Face Up by LIGHTS by the way. I love her music. Over time I'm just gonna add some of her lyrics into this story that seem to fit in. (Mostly from Face Up though.)**

**KittyRin: Thanks for the advice! I'll try to be descriptive more in the future! :]**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Pokemon or Tumblr**

**Oh and by the way, I might not be write the full scenes of the contests until the Grand Festival battle. Why? Because it's not the point of this story… Sorry guys if you were looking forward to that… Her contests will be described through the blogs! I think… You'll just have to find out.**

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_Don't wanna move an inch_

_Let alone a million miles_

_And I don't wanna go but I know I gotta go_

_I just want to feel alive._

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Normal POV

After that small conversation with Drew, May sluggishly moved toward her room in the Pokemon Center. It was at least 2:30 AM now… Throwing herself on her bed, she sighed and dug in her pocket to see what this website was. Tumblr? What was that? She pulled out a thin dark blue colored laptop from her backpack. After it started up, she opened up a browser and typed the site's name in.

In big letters was: 'THE EASIEST WAY TO BLOG.'

'_A blogging website? Really Drew?' _May thought to herself. Well, a promise was a promise. She signed up for this blogging website and everything got confusing. What were all these buttons? What's a Dashboard? What's all of this? Profiles? Themes? Following? Oh man this was confusing.

After 20 minutes, she got the hang of what each button was. She even picked out a simple grey and red theme for her profile. Her chosen screen name was hard to come upon, though. After thinking for a few minutes, May thought of something simple: It'sJustMay, she typed and saved. It was true. It _was _just her anyways. She's abandoned her family; therefore, she doesn't really have a last name now, does she? Oh well. She's confused. Her profile picture was a sunset. It reminded her about herself. _Sinking_ until darkness engulfed the sky.

Her mouse hovered over the 'Text' button, where she could start typin.

Wait. Who would follow her? Anybody? Probably not. So nobody would be reading her entries I guess. But as Drew said, she just needed to let things out and feel relieved. She clicked on button and began to type.

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_It'sJustMay:_

_11-27-10_

_Why am I here? I really don't know. My friend just told me about this. I find this lame. Whatever though, I promised to try it out. Ok let me start with who I am. I don't really know who I am. I'm a coordinator. I'm a confused girl who almost killed herself today. Oh well. Moving on…_

_Hmm... What should I talk about? How about the reasons why I considered jumping off a bridge?_

_The main reason was because I've been feeling like a failure and that nobody cares in my life. My parents are barely proud of me, since they seem to care more about my brother. It's like I'm just there. They don't even notice me! Ugh. I ended up running away to Sinnoh to just get out of that house._

_Then there's the contests. I haven't won a single Grand Festival throughout my 2 journeys. I always come close, but I always lose. I know, I know, 2 years is not long enough, but I'm desperate! I try so hard, but end up failing in the end. My first contest in Sinnoh was a failure. I lost so bad… I didn't even make it to the last round. Some new guy beat me in the first battle. Sad stuff, right? _

_Oh, also, it's because I've started to crush on one of my best friends. He's been there to pick up the broken pieces when I needed him. You're probably wondering, 'Why would you want to kill yourself over a crush?'. Well, I don't really know either, but I just think that he'll never like me back. That's already happened with my first crush. The first guy liked a gym leader and I could tell she liked him back. Umm, I guess I was pushed toward the ledge, since I was afraid that I'll never be in love or have a real family. I'm still an ugly failure who can never win. _

_Anyways, I'll stop here. This is getting really long. I feel slightly better though, knowing that I got to type all of this out now. To anyone who is reading this, thanks._

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May sighed. Her first blog was posted and she felt very relieved. It was 3:12 AM.

'_Damn,' _the girl thought, _'I need to sleep if I want to get to the next town.'_

With that, she closed her eyes and drifted off to dreamland.

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**NEXT DAY**

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

An alarm clock went off at 8:00 AM, and May slammed her hand on the OFF button to shut it up. She got 5 hours of sleep. _Yay. _

She went to check her computer and realized that she had _4 followers _on Tumblr. _'That was fast.' _she told herself

Then she noticed some people had replied to her post.

**LookAtThisOne**: _Aww I'm so sorry for that! I'm sure you'll pull through. I bet you're a great coordinator, May. It's not that easy getting into a Grand Festival. It takes hard work! You should be proud of yourself. Well, I'm here for you whenever you need someone to talk to, ok? Just message me anytime girl. And I'm sure this guy you're talking about likes you back. ;) For the record, I'd like to let you know that I care as well. Sometimes you don't have to know someone to care. _

**SwellowSuzie: **_Oooh! I've heard of you! I see you on T.V. once in awhile when I watch the contests. You're amazing May! Don't be so hard on yourself. Just because you haven't won a Festival doesn't mean you're a failure. It takes guts to win 5 ribbons. Don't you dare think about suicide again! I agree with the girl above me; you don't have to know someone in person to care. I care too!_

May felt the need to cry tears of joy. These people are so kind on this website… They cared about her.

The other two followers were also teenage girls, but they didn't feel the need to comment. Still, May began to feel happy that people were reading her things! LISTENING to what she had to say!

She closed her laptop, got ready, and headed out to a place that she actually knew the name of. Hearthrome City.

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**Yes, I know, this chapter wasn't very fun. A few won't be in the beginning, because they're mostly her blog entries about her contests. Don't worry my readers, I have something planned ahead where the action begins. **

**I had to think of random usernames for these people. They're kinda weird, right? Well you can give me suggestions for some names if you want. I might need them in the future.**

**Umm, thanks for reading! The next chapter **_**should **_**be up soon. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Keep Your Face Up:**

**Yay! Another chapter. Umm, I believe that after this chapter full of blogs, there will be more action/adventure/fun. I need to get the contests in Sinnoh out of the way! SORRY! THIS CHAPTER MIGHT BE BORING! **

**Thank you for reviewing! **

**I guess the main reason why I portrayed feelings really well in the beginning, was because I felt that way too a few times. I got used to the feeling XD. That's not a good thing haha. I brought myself back up with the help of some really close friends that I'm glad to have. **

**Queen of Houndooms****: I giggled at your review about you flying from ****Commercial Breaks****, to this one x] **

**WAIT. BEFORE YOU GO ONTO THE STORY: Should I change the summary to an actual summary? Or should I keep the excerpt in it from Ch. 1? I NEED HELP!**

**DISCLAIMER****: Don't own Pokemon, the song, or Tumblr**

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_The times you don't wanna wake up_

'_Cause in your sleep it's never over when you give up_

_The sun is always gonna rise up_

_You need to get up; gotta keep your head up_

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_It'sJustMay_

_11.20.09_

_It's been a few days since my last blog, hasn't it? Well, sorry guys, it took me 3 days to get to Hearthrome! That trail I just went through took forever! Well, thanks to all of you, I'm entering my 2__nd__ contest in Sinnoh. You and my, err… __**other**__ friend, got me going again. I thank you so much. I'm thinking about using Flaafy for appeals and- Oh wait! I didn't introduce my team yet! After all, I did travel to Johto and catch new Pokemon. Okay, I have my Blazikin, Beautifly, Flaaffy, Eevee, Venusaur, and Dratini with me. A full group! I had caught Flaafy as a Mareep in the beginning of my journey in Johto, but Dratini came later, when Soledad and I went to Blackthorn's Dragon Den. No, we didn't go there for the gym! We went there to train! The monks or whatever said our Pokemon were tough enough and such that they let us in. ;D_

_My other Pokemon, Larvitar, Shellder, Wartortle, Vulpix, and Skitty are back in this new PC storage system. Therefore, I could simply exchange any Pokemon at the PokeCenter if I needed to. If you're wondering, my Larvitar and Vulpix were given to me for my 13__th__ birthday (February 4__th__! Yeah, I know, my name's May, but I'm born in February. Strange.) in Johto from my 'other friend' and Solidad. Larvitar is such a cutie! She's got amazing eyes. :3 I trained these girls for some contests in Johto! Shellder came from my brother, Max, whom I still regret leaving behind... Hey, I left him Munchlax so he could at least remember me by... A food eater! Lol. Jk, I felt like there was a bond between the two._

_Oh and just for the heck of it, Soledad and I went to the Safari Zone when we were sooo bored and caught all these random Pokemon we encountered! Haha! It's too bad I haven't used them yet… I guess I just forgot they were there! Well, it's not much anyways. Just a Sunkern, Rhyhorn, Girafarig, and Misdreavus. They were so cute and looked tough, that I couldn't resist! I might have caught some others, but I probably forgot. Ehehehe… That's a bad thing. I should check my PC later on this evening after I sign up for the contest scheduled for tomorrow. _

_As I was saying, Flaaffy might do well with appeals. His electric moves with charm may do me some good. For battles, I'll use Venusaur, yes, newly evolved! She's got some great moves I wanna show off. _

_Well, I guess that's all for this afternoon. I'll see you all around! _

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May was surprised on how many followers she had gotten from those past few days… About 4-6? She found out that it was one of her first followers, SwellowSuzie, that had told all her friends that a 'famous coordinator' has signed up on Tumblr. She had more fans! Yay!

There were a few comments left behind that she checked before she went to bed. Some like:

"**Who's your other friend?"**

"**LOL! I can't wait to see this on Sinnoh Contests Live tomorrow!" **

(PS: Contests in each region only show in _that_ specific region, so her parents wouldn't know where she is by the way. You could only see other region contests if you have expensive cable, which her family doesn't have! HAHA!)

"**I love (Pokemon Name Here)! They're amazing!"**

**ETC.**

The brunette was satisfied, because she had people who she can talk to without fighting with out there. They were kind, fun, supportive- anything you could really wish for. She smiled to herself, and got ready for the contest coming up tomorrow afternoon; hoping to see her _**other **_friend around.

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_It'sJustMay_

_11.21.09_

_YES! I have officially won my __**first**__ Sinnoh ribbon! I'm so freakin' happy! Unfortunately, my sea foam green dress got a little burnt from my last opponent's Flareon. It was such a beautiful dress too… It went to my knees and it was so flippy! The skirt was fun to twirl in. (Sinnoh's contests require formal wear. BLEH. Now I have to buy a new one that's similar!)_

_Sorry guys, can't tell you who that 'other friend' is just yet. It might get me some unwanted people in my business._

May chuckled. Those 'unwanted people' were Drew's fan girls. She did **not **want them stalking her just to get to him.

_Well, to my disappointment, he wasn't at the contest. :/ He must've went the opposite direction than me. No worries! I'm sure I'll see him at the Grand Festival, hoping I get there in time._

_Did you know that instead of PokeBlocks in Hoenn, they have Poffins? Well, I'm sure you Sinnoh natives knew that, but I was dumfounded when a fellow competitor told me about them. So afterwards, she showed me around the rest of Hearthrome, and took me to the Poffin place to make some. It was such a blast, and my Pokemon actually liked them! _

_Well, I don't have much to say today, so I'll be going now. See ya later!_

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With that all said, May shut her computer off, smiling as she drifted off to sleep.

The next few weeks passed by pretty fast for our coordinator. She lost 2 contests, but eventually won her remaining 4 needed very quickly it seemed…

Every day she managed to get into a PokeCenter, she'd update her blog, receive 2-4 followers every other two days or so, and have many messages/comments left behind. She probably had about 30-50 followers, helping her out as much as they can. They were almost like... Drew, it seemed...

During the holidays, she wished everyone a great time as they said the same. Everything that was happening in her little cyber world made her happy again, except the fact that she hadn't seen Drew around yet… She wondered if he was even competing in Sinnoh anymore!

She managed to catch some Sinnoh Pokemon for her little 'cute' collection as well. A Froslass that she entered in her 3rd contest and a Bagon she found in a cave one day. Still, she carried around her traditionals with at least one newbie to train!

Now, it was January 3rd, 2010, and the Grand Festival was tomorrow. Time sure does fly!

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_It'sJustMay_

_01.03.10_

_Wow, I can't believe the Grand Festival is tomorrow already… I could hardly wait! Honestly, I can't wait to see my arrogant friend had made it. I probably shouldn't be excited that my rival and friend made it to the festival, but I'm eager to see him after these past couple months! I haven't even said a proper thank-you for what he has done for me. _

_Well, wish me luck you guys! Good-night._

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May had practiced her appeal to be perfection, and battle strategy all planned out; she was definitely ready for the next day.

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**Wooo! Grand Festival tomorrow! I bet you're all begging for Drew to come in. I'll be updating ASAP, hoping I have the courage haha. Well, I'm sorry this part was actually rushed. The contests weren't very important anyways.**

**Sorry if you don't like me adding in some Pokemon. You can't just expect trainers and coordinators to use the same party! Right? Well, I don't think so haha. They need a variety! Especially when they're traveling the world! COLLECTIONS!**

**So now, May's whole team consists of, Blaziken, Beautifly, Wartortle, Venusaur, Flaaffy, Eevee, Dratini, Larvitar, Shellder, Vulpix, Skitty, Rhyhorn, Girafarig, Froslass, Bagon, Misdreavus, and Sunkern. I know, a bit much, but trust me, she'll need them in the future. Or not. HAHA YOU'LL SEE. -.- BLAME THE SAFARI ZONE AND HER BIRTHDAY D: Haha I go crazy in the Safari Zones sometimes x]**

**The next chapter should be more detailed, I believe. **

**If you want a good laugh, I think you should go to my other fic, Commercial Breaks. I've been getting great reviews from that story, and I hope you'll enjoy it when you're down or such. **


	4. Chapter 4

****

Keep Your Face Up:

**Ok, Grand Festival time guys! Thanks for the reviews. They make me happy!**

**Sorry if this format is messed up people. The Document Edit/Preview thing isn't cooperating with me! Also, sorry for not updating sooner. I went out of town for a few days, and this was supposed to be finished earlier. Sadly, I was stopped midway and had to leave.**

**And to those who realized May has been pretty cheery after the depression mode, I noticed too, and I'm sorry about that. I guess it slipped my mind as I began writing. **

**Or maybe she's just really happy that people are listening to her story and stuff. :] Oh well.**

**Do you think the characters are OOC? Cuz I'm trying my best… Drew isn't always mean/teasing, isn't he just someone that guides May through contests and stuff? Supportive, right? That's what I thought about haha. Anywayss… Onward!**

**DISCLAIMER****: Don't own Pokemon or Tumblr**

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_Look at the people all around you_

_The way you feel is something everybody goes through_

_Dark out, but you still gotta light up_

_You need to wake up; gotta keep your face up_

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May took a deep breath before entering the Contest Hall. **(That's what it's called, right?) **Slowly, she made her way in through the large sliding glass doors, receiving a gust of wind going against her. She was looking around for people she might know. Nope. None yet. Out of the 20 people who made it to the festival, she couldn't find who she was looking for. Not even a flash of green hair she hoped to find appeared in her search. The brunette was already registered and the festival would be starting any moment now. Say in about 2 minutes?

May took a seat somewhere in a far corner, far enough from the crowd of coordinators, but close enough to see the TV in the room. Sighing, she smoothed out her dress that she had purchased not long after her previous one got slightly burnt. The new appearance consisted of a simple white spaghetti strap dress that went to her knees, white flats, and brushed down hair that went a few inches below her shoulders. It kinda looked like the gym leader, Jasmine's, dress. Even though it was simple, it was still stunning.

May brused a few strands of loose hairs behind her ear and began to fiddle with her two pokeballs she was planning to use for the contest. One for appeals, and one for battles. Now, the Grand Festival was beginning, and the first few competitors had already gotten feedback. May was entranced by the fellow coordinators' appeals; they were very good. Afterall, they _had _made it so far into the Festival.

"I see you've gotten your confidence back since you've made it to the Grand Festival, May." The voice broke her trance- leaving her frozen. Could it really be? After these past few months, she'll finally be seeing him again? She snapped out of her frozen state and jerked her head to the sound's position and gasped.

"D-Drew?" she stuttered. He didn't look very different from what she'd seen during the event on the bridge. It was just his choice of clothing due to the formal wear for these Sinnoh contests. His choice of formal wear was just a nice (long sleeved) light blue button up shirt, black pants, and black shoes.

"The one and only." He replied, flicking his hair as he stared down at the girl below him.

"DREW!" She repeated, leaping up from the bench and tackling him in a hug, to which he returned gently. "Thank you so much!" May's grip just got tighter.

"Heh, I see you've missed me. What's the thank you for? And please let go; people are staring." Drew smirked. The girl released him with a tint of pink on her cheeks. She had missed him dearly; his supportive company during contests was sadly absent throughout her journey.

"I _have _missed you! Where have you been? And I'm saying thank you for helping me out." she answered with a huge smile. Because of Drew, she'd been able to pick herself up and be happy again.

"I guess I just went the opposite direction from you. Umm, you're welcome?" the teen tilted his head as he finally began looking at her new appearance. "By the way, I'm liking the outfit." Drew took a seat on the bench his friend had once occupied moments ago.

"GASP! _The _Drew is complimenting my sense of style?" May giggled with a slight blush, "Thanks again; you don't look so bad yourself." The boy flicked his hair and let out a chuckle.

"Next up is contestant number 15, May!" the MC **(I don't remember her name.) **announced cheerfully as the crowd clapped. Wow time flew. They were already on 15/20!

"That's my cue. I'll see ya later." May quickly said before dashing out toward the stage with her dress's skirt flowing gracefully as she jogged.

"Good luck, cuz you're gonna need it!" Drew shouted toward her as she barged through the doors. Once she was out of sight, he immediately turned his head toward the TV.

* * *

"Shellder! Take the stage!" May shouted as the blue/purple shell pokemon appeared out of the bubbles and sparkles made by the Seal. **(You know, those pokeball seals.)**

"What an entrance! May has chosen an extremely healthy Shellder!" the MC said.

'_This one's for you Max…_' she told herself. She still regretted leaving her younger brother behind without saying anything. Even though Max was 12, he still relied on her for company. Plus, they always told each other things like that. Maybe she'll see him again? Maybe not? May scanned the large crowd before beginning her appeal. Rays of light began to break through the stadium's windows after being hidden behind clouds. Unfortunately, it didn't last long, because new coulds came rolling in, blocking the light from entering the glass again.

"Alright! Shellder, use Bubblebeam upwards, and then a small Blizzard to freeze the bubbles!" The varied sized bubbles that were shot upward froze and began to descend toward the floor.

"Quickly use Attract and Swift before they hit the ground!" Hearts began to surround the falling bubbles, only to be shot by stars, creating a mixture of pink, blue, and gold sparkles floating in the air. **(Haha I suck at appeals. Sorry! Imagine something awesome for all the appeals, okay? Thanks :D) **The crowd was in awe and started applauding as May returned her Shellder, bowed, and exited.

* * *

"That was May folks! Now can we have contestant number 16, Alan come to the stage?" the MC's voice echoed through the hall.

"Nice performance, but I expected something better from you after all your years of coordinating." Drew welcomed and scooted over, mentioning for her to sit beside him. May rolled her eyes and sat down on bench.

"Gee, thanks, Drew." May stuck her tongue out as her friend/rival flicked his hair again.

"No problem." He smirked, getting up. The girl looked confused. "If you're wondering, I'm next, May. Number 17?" May gave him a 'oh' and nodded.

"Contestant number 17, Drew, you're up!" the MC shouted, getting a very loud cheer from the audience.

* * *

"Chatot! Let's go!" the green-haired coordinator shouted as a tiny bird popped out of flashing lights and musical notes.

"Sqwaak- Let's go!" The Chatot mimicked through a parrot voice.

"How adorable! Drew's chatot just copied him!" the MC said with stars in her eyes.

'_That's new…' _May thought when she saw the bird.

"Chatot, mimic Masquerain's Ice Beam and combine with Swift!" The bird's eyes glowed white as ice shards mixed with stars shot up toward the ceiling. **(Idk what Mimic really does, but in my story, that's how it will go haha) **This created a large and gorgeous stalactite chandelier on the roof with many golden stars frozen inside.

"Flash!" The bright light blinded the crowds' eyes until it died down, making the ice and stars glimmer. The crowd gasped at the beauty and applauded.

The male coordinator was satisfied, and praised his pokemon when it landed on his extended arm. He bowed and returned back stage with his Chatot still perched on his shoulder.

* * *

"That was great!" May exclaimed as her friend came in through the doors. Drew flicked his hair, "Of course it was."

"I wasn't talking to you! That compliment was to your Chatot!" Drew sweat dropped when May began pet the adorable bird, cooing a bit.

"Compliment for Chatot. Not for Dreew." The pokemon chirped with a smile on its face, receiving a laugh from May, but a return to the pokeball from the owner.

"Hey! I was talking to that bird!" the girl complained as Drew latched the ball on his belt.

"Yeah, well I wasn't." he rolled his eyes. "How's the website goin?" Time to change the subject.

"Pretty well, I guess. People have been helping me out and stuff. It's a fun website to talk about things on." May said with a smile. "That's nice." Drew replied with a slight grin of his own.

"What about you? What have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you for months!" the girl asked.

"Winning contests, gaining a few rivals, and catching new pokemon to add to the team. Not much as you can see. Sinnoh's been pretty boring." He flicked his hair as he answered. May mumbled, "Oh, okay then."

"Alright! With all the appeals out of the way, let's find out who's moving onto the next round for battles!" the MC yelled into the microphone.

Only the top 4 would be entering the battles in the Festival, and obviously, the two friends had made it along with another boy and girl named Henry and Danielle. The remaining 16 left the backstage, either sulking, crying, angered, or careless about their lost chance at participating in the remaining parts of the Grand Festival. Some walked to the stands to watch the battles, but the rest left the building, seeing that there was no point for them to watch what they could've been in.

May let out a relieved sigh as she saw her picture pop up on the screen. It's pretty scary when the judges don't give out scores. You never know what place you're in that way.

Her head turned toward the screen again only to see that she'll be facing Henry first, meaning Drew would battle Danielle. May began to get up and head toward the stage again, clutching the second pokeball on her belt. She faced the closed door and waited for her name to be called.

"Promise me you'll win so I can battle you?" Drew said from behind her, smirking.

"May and Henry, please proceed to the stage for your battle!" the MC shouted.

"I'll try." She whispered as she pushed through the doors ahead.

* * *

**Honestly, I was gonna keep going until the battles ended. Then I realized that this had gotten pretty long. Hehe. Anyways, I tried a little harder adding more description in. It's quite troubling for me, isn't it? **


	5. Chapter 5

**Keep Your Face Up:**

**Thanks for the reviews again. It helps a lot! And just so you guys know, this is just the beginning… It doesn't end at a contest D: . Unless you want me to? I dunno… You tell me :]! Sorry for late update by the way; school's getting in the way :/**

**IMPORTANT****: Okay, I'm thinking about **_**rewriting**_** this. Yes or no? I'd make it so May doesn't seem to have such a quick mood change, and add more descriptions. This is gonna start being rushed…**

**Also, these pokemon know more than 4 moves. :| I honestly don't like that the game only allows a certain number. :[ **

**AND… I'm really bad at battle scenes like this, so this chapter might not go so well.**

**Thanks to Samia-Chan for telling me the MC's name! x]**

**DISCLAIMER****: Don't own Pokemon or Tumblr**

* * *

_Seems like the more you grow  
The more time you spend alone  
Before you know it, __you'll end up perfectly on your own._

* * *

The brunette made her way to her side of the stage, opposite from her blue haired opponent, Henry. She clutched her 2nd pokeball, waiting for the MC, Lilian to announce the beginning.

"Let the Olivine Grand Festival battles begin!" Lilian yelled. (**Sorry, I just noticed that I didn't even have the city mentioned earlier -.-**)

"Froslass! Take the stage!" May said as she threw the pokeball. Through glimmering ice shards and sparkles emerged a beautiful ice type with eyes full of determination.

"Infernape! I choose you!" the opponent shouted above the loud cheers as the fire type appeared to be surrounded by flames. Henry smirked; he had the type advantage, but Drew knew that wasn't going to stop May from trying.

"Froslass use Hail and control the ice with Psychic!" the girl commanded as the pokemon created a hailstorm and turning it into what seemed to look like a large ice pellet arrow.

"Infernape, melt it with Flamethrower and attack with Crunch!" Henry said, watching the monkey destroy his opponent's attack and go forward with its command. It was a hit.

This resulted in May's points being lowered 1/5. Ouch. She knew she had a disadvantage, but she _had _to win this. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Doubleteam and Ice Beam, Froslass!" The female pokemon began to circle around the fire type, and proceeded to use an ice beam. The shards from all the Ice Beams created started to enclose Infernape in a block of ice; making it impossible to run away. Henry lost about 1/6 of his points.

"Use Overheat!" May's face fell once she heard the attack. This obviously wasn't going well for her.

The monkey freed itself from the barricade and launched a Flamethrower towards Froslass's direction. Another hit, and her points went down a lot. Her pokemon was getting weak from the fire and her attacks were becoming useless. 2 minutes on the clock; man time goes by fast.

"Quick, use Thunder!" she yelled, and her pokemon obeyed. The Froslass sent a massive jolt of electricity toward the foe, and made a direct hit. May and Henry were almost tied, but the boy still had the lead.

Through attacking and dodging, the two rallied back and forth with numerous attacks. Some hit, some didn't. Now the time ran out and everyone's heads jerked toward the giant screen. Lilian announced the winner:

Henry was the victor.

May was in shock. "I... I lost? I didn't even make it to the second round of battles..." she whispered to herself as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Before anybody could see, she dashed out of the stadium while keeping her Froslass close to her chest for comfort.

Drew saw her run out of the building and out toward the beach. He knew he should go after her, but he had a battle to go to now. So much for going against his rival. He'll talk to her later... The teen sighed and walked out to the stage to battle Danielle, an unfortunate newbie who had just started her coordinating career this season.

The battle against the pink haired girl wasn't that hard for Drew and his newly evolved Luxray. Danielle had chosen a water type, Finneon; meaning that he was able to take the poor fish out within 2 minutes. Her strategy wasn't impressive; she kept throwing attacks out, hoping they'll hit. She didn't even make them look good.

Now Drew had a battle with Henry. Infernape against Luxray.

* * *

_2 minutes into the battle (sorry I'm rushing this…)_

The green haired teen was amazed by his foe. Drew was losing. Henry managed to dodge more than half of his attacks and counter with powerful Flamethrowers and Flame Wheels.

Drew glanced at the time, 2 minutes and 10 seconds with a remaining half of points left. Henry had at least lost 1/3. It was close, right? Not for long.

"Luxray! Thunderbolt!" the electric pokemon shot electricity toward the monkey.

"Infernape! It's aimed toward your left! Dodge and use Rock Smash!" Drew watched in shock as the opponent's pokemon had _barely _escaped the electricity and came head on with an attack.

"Luxray, use Iron Tail!" The two pokemon were charging toward each other and unleashed their power, resulting in clouds of smoke. Lilian coughed and waited for the smoke to clear in order to claim the Grand Festival winner.

Both pokemon were too tired to go on, so now the winner was determined by their point amounts.

Again, Henry had won. Drew froze; he lost too? He snapped out of a trance and walked toward the blue haired boy, giving him a handshake. Henry fought hard and well; he deserved the win.

* * *

The party started right after the Festival at 6:00 PM and the sun had already gone down. Drew began to exit the stadium and search for his friend. She hadn't been out for long; only about 12 minutes, because each battle was 5 with a minute break in between. After walking a good distance, he spotted her.

May was leaning on the handrails, facing toward the vast sea on a small cliff that was illuminated by two short street lamps. Unfortunately for Drew, she was still moping about her loss. He sighed and approached her.

"May, it's just your third Grand Festival," he started, "you don't have to be so depressed…" The girl quickly wiped her eyes; surprised that he was there.

"You don't understand."

"I _do _understand, May. I lost too. Henry's a tough guy." He began to lean on the railing as well. There were a few seconds of silence until May began sniffing and trying to hold back tears.

"No you don't! This was my time to prove to my parents that I _am_ good at what I do! This is the third time I lost in a row! They'll probably think I'm a pathetic loser who can't win! I can never go back home now… They might just make fun of me! I don't even know how I'll face Max! I- I just _left _him! I'll be shunned for the rest of my life!" she broke into sobs and buried her head into her hands. "I failed _again._"

Drew sighed again, and brought the girl closer with a hug, comforting her. May twitched at the touch, but continued drenching his shoulder. "You aren't a failure, May," he whispered, "you made it to the top 4; that should be enough. Your family will always love you, and I'm sure Max misses you dearly. So what if you didn't win the war? At least you won tons of battles." Okay, that last statement wasn't a very good choice of words, but it still managed to sooth her.

"Just keep your face up, May, and you'll do fine."

"I know, I know… You said that last time." she muttered and came across a thought. "Maybe I'm not suited for contests, Drew." The boy tilted his head, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe, just _maybe_, I need to find a career change; somewhere else to shine and shove my old confidence into." May stopped sobbing, but a few small tears continued to roll down her face. "Maybe, just maybe, I should go try out the Gyms; to win _more_ _battles_."

Drew didn't know what to say; his rival was going to leave him? For Gyms? Who would he impatiently wait for to battle now? Who else would he try to help improve? Who else would be as determined as her? Who could be as good of a rival- and friend?

"Whatever makes you happy." Drew mumbled. He was letting her go. She had a new road to take and he didn't know if he could follow.

"Thanks, Drew," May wiped the remaining tears, "but you know what would make me really happy?" She released herself from his grip and looked at him with a cracked smile.

"Hm?" he looked away from her so he faced the dark sea again. Silence lurked once more as the two remained leaning on the railing and looking out as far as they could in the dark night.

"If you went with me."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'M SO SAD/SORRY.**

**Ugh, I'm so disappointed in this chapter. Not very descriptive. I promise you, if I EVER rewrite the story, I will definitely make it better. I sorta rushed this, because I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. I'm so sorry guys. This might not have been the ending of the Grand Festival you wanted; and it probably wasn't the beginning of the climax you desired. I'm terribly sorry. Spoiler is that I was planning on making this a short "let's travel together" story. If you want me to end it here/change the ending, then tell me. If you want me to go on, then say that. I don't know what to do anymore. School's getting so much in the way and I won't have much time to update. If I do, then they'll be cruddy chapters like these. It'll be somewhat rushed/quick. I'm having writer's block too. I've decided that from now on, I will finish stories before I post the first chapter. That way, I know I'll be finished. Like at the moment, I've started another during the time I couldn't find a way with this one. Don't worry, I'll probably finish this though. I just know that I'll always finish stories like these beforehand. Thank you for reading this if you did. IT'S NOT OVER YET IF YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE! **

**By the way, did you guys catch my attempt at foreshadowing in the previous chapter?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Keep Your Face Up:**

**Sorry for the long wait. I'm still busy, and I'm starting to lose interest in this. Why? Because I have a feeling people will hate this story when the plot really begins. The beginning was just a long introduction, I think. Well, I'll try to finish this. **

**I hate myself! AHHH. **

**Do you guys want a long version or short? **

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Pokemon or the song. **

* * *

_The city's shining bright_

_But you don't see the light_

_How can you concentrate on things that don't make you feel right?_

_I just want to feel alright._

* * *

'_If you went with me.'_ Those words rang through his head. No. He couldn't give up on his coordinating career. He wasn't going to end it just like that. It was his life and dream to become Top Coordinator.

"May…" Drew began, "I'm sorry. I- I just can't give up coordinating." He hung his head low, expecting the worst. Was she going to cry? Run away? Scream? Collapse?

"Oh! Heavens no, Drew! I'm not telling you to go for the gyms." May waved her arms in front of her in defense, "I- I just need someone to guide me through; that's all…" She seemed to be calmed down now.

Drew pondered a little bit, "Umm, let me think, alright? I'll be sure to have an answer for you tomorrow morning." He looked at her and gave a weak smile, "Good night, May."

With that, he sauntered off to the PokeCenter, leaving the brunette near the railing. She sighed, "Night, Drew…"

* * *

_It'sJustMay_

_01.04.10_

_Hey guys, if you haven't seen the Grand Festival's show; I lost. Don't worry, my friend lost too, so I don't feel TOO bad. But hey, I was somewhat close, right? That Henry guy is really strong; he did deserve the cup. Though, I do wish I could've received it for once. I mean, now I have all these wimpy ribbons. This was supposed to be my time to shine; to show my parents that I'm amazing. And it would probably be my ticket to go back to my house. :/_

_Well, I thought about it for awhile tonight, and I'm considering in becoming a trainer now. You know, battling gyms and stuff. A new hobby for a new year, right? Well, I'm not sure. What do you guys think?_

_I asked my friend to come along with me, but I doubt he'll say yes. He told me he would tell me tomorrow morning so he has time to think. What do you guys say? Should I really be going for the gyms? Or should I just stick to my coordinating career? _

_Ughh, I really don't know! I'm so confused… I love coordinating and all, but I really think that becoming a trainer would be better for me. _

_I'll just see what happens tomorrow. Good night everyone._

* * *

Drew laid on his bed with his hands rested underneath his head. He thought about May's offer; he couldn't just say no, could he? It's not like he _didn't _want to go; he was all for it. It was just the fact that their new differences could hold him back from entering contests throughout the region.

Where was she going anyways?

You know, maybe he needed a break for a year. He doesn't need to be in a round of contests all the time, right? Drew could easily just train within the year. Right? But what if he doesn't train and he becomes weak? What if he gets lazy? What if…?

So many more questions went on through his mind and he came to a conclusion.

* * *

May woke up early this morning. She desperately wanted to know Drew's answer; she _needed_ to. It wasn't because she loved him; no. That's just absurd. She just really needs someone who'll be there for her when she's lost and has nowhere to turn.

She peered out the window and saw the sun slowly rising up from the ocean she had just stood next to the previous night. Though, that was when the sun sank.

The blue-eyed teen dressed in her normal apparel, walked into the cafeteria to grab a muffin, returned to her room to grab all her belongings, and walked outside back to the railing looking over the vast blue ocean.

May leaned on the rail once more; thinking about what her reactions could be when Drew gave his answer.

If yes, she'd smile as big as she could and hug him to death with many thank yous.

If no, she'd crack a small smile and say it was alright and she understood.

She favored the first one, of course.

The wind blew her hair across her face and ruffled her shirt. She began to push the strands out of her eyes and smooth her shirt until she felt someone's presence.

"Hey May." A all too familiar voice said from behind her. She turned around and cracked a small smile to him. "Hey." She whispered a reply.

More silence hung around the two as they sat on a nearby bench facing away from the waters. Drew coughed and broke it.

"So," he started, "I thought about your… offer last night, and I have my answer for you." May looked up at him with worry and hope in her eyes.

"Sure," he finally said with some other pointless words, but May didn't care. Once she heard that answer, her face lit up and she gave a huge smile.

"Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she launched herself at the coordinator and gave him a quick embrace.

"No problem… I figured I could take a break for my best friend, anyways." He flashed a small smile and continued, "As I was saying; what region are you going to battle in?"

May looked down and sighed, "Hoenn." The boy looked at her with surprise in his wide eyes. Why was she going there out of all the places? Wasn't she trying to avoid her family? Isn't that why she ran off in the first place?

"What? Why? Didn't you want to escape from there?" Drew asked with confusion.

"It- It was the only ticket I could buy with my amount of money I had on me," she began, "and I was counting on winning that Grand Festival so I could show my family I'm good at what I do…"

Drew just sat there and released a sigh as well, "I guess I'll have to buy myself a ticket then. Tomorrow's ferry, I assume?" She nodded. "Let's get going then, May."

Majority of the day was spent packing, buying the ticket, purchasing some supplies for the trip, eating, and some catching up. There wasn't going to be any breaks once they got to Hoenn. May was going to start her new career right when they docked at Slateport City, there was no turning back.

* * *

**PLEASE READ:**

**I'm sorry for the wait again, and I'm sorry for this **_**boring**_** chapter and the lack of description. Also I'm sorry this is going to turn into another one of those "let's travel together fics." It might not have been what you were hoping for, but this is what I planned it to be in the beginning. What I wasn't ready for was a whole bunch of readers. I was very surprised. I thank you all though! It makes me really happy that people are reading my work. **

**I wanted to make this a serious fic, but I kinda failed at that. I have the end planned and a few obstacles ready, just so you know. **

**Once again, if I were to start another one of these long fics, I will from now on, finish them before hand. I feel so bad leaving you guys waiting for so long for this cruddy chapter. **

**Yes, they are going to travel together. Now, I really need to know whether you want the full on travel story with the battles, conflicts, etc; or the fast version where I just skip all those things and give small summaries in her blogs? Something like that. SERIOUSLY I NEED AN OPINION! :[ **

**Or I can skip to the end?**


	7. The Dreaded Author's Note 1 and Previews

**Author's Note:**

I'M SO SORRY. My other computer that had ALL of my chapter documents broke a few weeks ago. I, being all devastated, was too depressed to rewrite all of my things. DO NOT WORRY. I'll get them soon when it's fixed. I promise.

Another reason for my lack of updates is school. My classes are giving me way too much homework. I don't have any time to write.

I'm really sorry for keeping all of you waiting. I promise I'll get this done. I have to!

**Coming Up:**

May has successfully collected a number of gym badges, keeping her hopes high. Drew stands by her side, supporting her through the whole process and helping her train.

Double battles, more gyms, and training await for the brunette as she continues throughout the region.

The one thing is- what will May do when it comes to challenging the Petalburg Gym?


End file.
